Frank Lampard has expressed his belief that former high-profile players face more intense scrutiny when they transition into managerial roles, as he prepares to relaunch his career at Coventry City. Lampard, who took his first training session with the club on Thursday, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to replace Mark Robins at the Championship club.
The former Chelsea and England midfielder is well aware of the intense scrutiny that comes with his return to management. At 46, Lampard has been out of work since leaving his interim head coach role at Chelsea at the end of the 2022-23 season. He believes that British managers, particularly those who are ex-players, often face harsher judgments. "I think British managers should be given a chance and sometimes they face even more stringent opinion against them, especially ex-players, if I'm honest," he said.
Lampard, who has managed both Derby County and Everton, is eager to dive into his new role at Coventry, a club with ambitions of reaching the Premier League. He reflected on his last job at Chelsea, where he felt he was more of a caretaker than a coach. "When I left Chelsea I went into a job that was a bit of babysitting from me, in terms of going in to tide them over for seven weeks, and I learnt a lot, not in terms of coaching because it was not a coaching job but a holding the baby job while the transition was happening. I learnt if you don’t get the environment right then it’s very difficult to succeed," he explained.
Despite acknowledging that his appointment might not be universally welcomed, Lampard is determined to prove his worth as a top-tier coach. "We have to live in a world of the spotlight when you’re a head coach, but if you don’t want that then don’t sign up for it and if you’re not brave enough to take that, then don’t worry, sit at home and be an ex-player that decides to do something else. It’s much easier work in the media, to sit at home or play golf. I’m 46: am I supposed to put my slippers on? A lot of people talk about the stresses, but there is also enjoyment in it, getting up and putting yourself out there. It’s very simple to say: ‘Why don’t you just sit at home?’ I want to work," he stated.
During his time out of the game, Lampard turned down offers to coach abroad and instead focused on learning from his peers. He attended dinners with Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate, and even spent an hour discussing tactics with Pep Guardiola during a visit to Manchester City. He also studied the work of Thomas Frank at Brentford and admired the progress made by his former New York City FC teammate Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, as well as the transformations at Ipswich and Aston Villa.
Lampard’s appointment at Coventry was driven by the club’s chairman, Doug King, who acquired the club at the start of last year. King, who sacked Robins after almost eight years in charge, believes Lampard is the right man to lead the club forward. "Frank was the outstanding candidate," King said. "He’s putting himself back in the arena, which is always brave to do."
Coventry currently sit 17th in the Championship, just two points above the relegation zone. Lampard’s first match in charge will be at home to Cardiff on Saturday, and he will be assisted by Joe Edwards and Chris Jones, with whom he has previously worked. With a challenging run of fixtures ahead, Lampard knows he needs to make an immediate impact. "We have to front-load and try and understand how we can make it better straight away," he said.
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